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I have about 10 computers on my LAN and I would like to upgrade the Firefox on the computers across the LAN. The computers are not connected to the internet. I can download the tar files from the internet but it's almost impossible to go from system to system to install. Is their a way I can upgrade from the server?

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Can you add detail. What was your 'wishlist' of features and management capabilities? – david6 Nov 21 '12 at 0:28

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First of all, not tar files, but debian packages.

I see following solutions:

  • If one of the computers is connected to the Internet, you can use it as a local cache and point the package managers (apt) from other computers on the LAN to that machine

  • If there is no other way than to install manually, use pssh or another parallel SSH solution (see here). In essence, you connect to all computers using SSH, type a command, and the command gets executed on all machines.

  • actually, it can be even achieved with a simple script if you can log in as root and using key-based authentication (this is not recommended in general, but could be OK on a LAN not connected to the Internet)

    for host in `cat hosts_to_update` ; do
     scp install_script.sh tar_file_blah.tar.gz root@$host
     ssh root@$host install_script.sh
done

All of that will require some initial setting up, but afterwords you will be able to run the updates more smoothly.

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There should be a proper solution, and Mozilla should be supporting it. I have looked at this issue before, but don't have an obvious solution to suggest. I have done this manually, using SSH and limited scripting, but this still required some effort to force/update settings .. – david6 Nov 20 '12 at 21:47
What "proper solution"? Distributing patches on 1.44" disks? :-) Come on, most people who use FF do have Internet access, or at least the computers have access to a server that can act as a proxy for autoupdates. – January Nov 20 '12 at 22:32
Actually, I was thinking of classrooms, Internet Cafés, and small business. You need to be able to update, corral, and manage multiple desktops. Updates themselves can be automated. – david6 Nov 21 '12 at 0:27
Gee, there are plenty of tools for that, starting with rsync, through particular Debian / Ubuntu solutions such as apt-mirror and local caches, ending with much more powerful and general tools for administration of cloned systems such as Puppet or CFengine-- but that was not your question! I thought you wrote "no Internet access" and you just wanted to update FF only? – January Nov 21 '12 at 0:37
Took a hiatus from here. Thanks all for the comments and directions. Will follow and comment back. – omadegbo Jan 10 at 9:24

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